Lawmakers see positives in Cuomo’s post-storm buyout plan

The bi-partisan controlled Senate said they think Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to buy out homeowners in storm-ravaged regions of the state makes sense, but they said they would still need more specifics.

Sen. Diane Savino, D-Staten Island, said she received a letter Friday from 155 of the 165 homeowners in a region of his district who want a buyout rather than rebuild after Superstorm Sandy, which hit Oct. 29.

“People don’t want to go through this again,” Savino said.

Cuomo wants to spend up to $400 million to buy and demolish homes wrecked by Superstorm Sandy, the New York Times reported today.

In his State of the State address Jan. 9, Cuomo outlined a buyout program, saying homeowners on coast areas can’t keep rebuilding after massive storms. It’s unclear how much money people would get, but it would certainly be more than the $31,900 that FEMA is offering.

“Many of them are saying I don’t want to have to do it again. I’d rather buy out the parcel and move on. There are some parcels that Mother Nature owns,” Cuomo, the former HUD secretary, said in the speech.

Meanwhile, a Senate task force offered recommendations today on how to improve the state’s reponse after major storms.